This is the first piece of trash I have ever photographed. That was eight weeks ago. There have been quite a few since. In fact, I believe I have turned it into a new project for myself. Let me explain.
I have twin baby girls that are four months old. They are terribly sweet, and I love them a lot, but they are a lot of work. The amount of time and effort that I must dedicate to them daily doesn’t leave me much time for creative outlets. It barely leaves me enough time to shower, do the laundry, and cook dinner. I have realized that if I want be creative I’ve got to get creative.
I make sure the girls and I take a walk every day. I know it’s good for me and I think it’s good for them. There are quite a few neighborhoods around me connecting a few miles of sidewalk. I have two routes. I leave my neighborhood and go right or go left. In the repetition of these two courses I stopped staring at the familiar architecture and landscaping and began to look elsewhere. I started to notice the trash at my feet. It bothered me. So much so that one day I decided to bring a garbage bag with me and pick it up. I have enjoyed, and found satisfaction in, cleaning up my walk.
I live on the windy side of town in a windy city. So I don’t believe this trash is only from people intentionally littering. I’m sure some of it is, but more often I think it blows around after our trash collection day. Initially the trash I was collecting was quite normal; water bottles, cigarette boxes, and plastic bags. One day however, I found the eight of clubs hiding under a bush. It struck me as the most interesting piece of trash I had ever seen. I decided to take a picture and my new project was born. Since the eight of clubs the objects I find curbside have grown ever more amusing to me.
I photograph new pieces of trash on each walk. Some days I even find two pieces of trash worth photographing. I decided to use Instagram to capture these nuances of my new life and share them using #interstingtrash and #morningwalk. It is my new creative project. As many of you know, before twins I used to sew and paint as my outlets of expression. I sold and, still do, sell items on Etsy. I have a shop for scarves and a shop for paintings, prints, and greeting cards. Unfortunately all of those efforts required a lot of time. My window of opportunity to make things to share with the world have significantly decreased; so taking 45 seconds during a walk to share an image is perfect. If you are interested in my morning musings please follow me on Instagram.
If you have enjoyed my art in the past I hope you find my new style equally as entertaining.
Thanks for following. Happy Holidays.
